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agsr

Chess is not nearly as popular as baseball or football and not what most people think as a sport.   
Is chess a sport?

juretsearch

Yes, it is a sport for the mind. I'm not aware of chess is currently in the olympics or ever was, but it should be placed there due to its status of being a sport. I would emphasize it as a more mental than physical sport unlike conventional sports such as Soccer, Cricket.

islander507

It's a real sport, there is world championship, ranking system, etc.

spandam

I agree with @islander507 .

Pino

Well, I'm not sure about that but I know a girl who's a real sport and if you wire me a few hundred bucks I'll let you have her telephone number, ha.
Seriously though, I'm of the opinion that as chess is a competition which requires great skill and practice it is indeed a real aggressive,'vying of the minds ' sport.
Personally speaking I prefer participating in the more rugged outdoor sports, such as playing dominos at pavement cafes, ha. 

foundue_47

I agree with @pino , it's a real sport.

EmperorAZ

I play chess and it is a very difficult game. It requires high mental concentration and makes me sweat even more than when I play soccer and baseball. So, yes I think its a sport m8

pour_wiretapping

Chess is a sport for the brain/ mental sport.

agsr

@EmperorAZ, I play chess as well and know that it requires high degree of concentration and intelligence. It has a ranking system, Chess Federation, World Championship and many followers. chess.com for example is extremely popular with people playing on stop around the world and millions subscribers.  
In many aspects, chess is more real if a sport than football or baseball. So I agree with your position completely.

anonymousdebater

I personally wouldn't say it is a sport because sports test your physical abilities, whereas chess tests your mental abilities. I would call it a challenge, a mental competition.

agsr

@anonymousdebater, I have to disagree on your definition. Sport challenges your abilities, and it doesn’t have to be just physical. There are competitions and a chess federation.  Other sports like soccer, baseball, etc also challenge mental abilities in addition to physical

Fredsnephew

Football is a sport.

Chess is a board game.

agsr

@Fredsnephew,
http://londonchessconference.com/a-question-of-sport/

Ten Reasons why Chess is a Sport

@anonymousdebater, 
your argument of lack of physical activity regarding chess:

1. Physical fitness. Peak mental condition requires being in good physical condition. Players need to concentrate totally for up to seven hours. As the stress and tension builds up, blood pressure, pulse and respiration rates all increase. Contenders for the world championships have nutritionists and fitness coaches.

Fredsnephew

@agsr ;

You won't convince me.

Chess may be very competitive and lucrative.

But it's still a board game.

someone234

When you are good at a sport, you tend to get laid easier.

When you are good at chess... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

WilliamSchulz

I play chess myself and have a USCF rating of 1651, but I would have to disagree that it is a sport. Yes, one needs incredible amounts of training (board-wise) and preparation (for whatever the opponent plays), but this does not set it apart as a board game. Sports can be mental, but most sports are physical and require some sort of bodily function in order to perform well. Speed stacking is a sport because although the person stands in one spot, their hands move at lightning fast speeds. Chess, I feel, is a challenge for one's intellect and reasoning capabilities, but for most people, it is not a sport. It only would ever be a sport if we considered World Championships, but I would argue the concept of chess makes it not a sport, though preparation and training is required for it. 

SlanderIsNotDebate1995

As much as I respect Chess, the definition of sports, https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/sport, requires for both skill AND physical exertion. Chess no doubt requires skill, but in terms of physical exertion? I would have to say it's quite low on that end. Therefore, I would not see it as a sport. Arguably, I'd say marching band is closer to the definition of "sport" because it does in fact compete, require physical exertion, AND skill. 

SlanderIsNotDebate1995

@islander507 League of Legends and World of Warcraft I am pretty sure have the same. Is that sport?

SlanderIsNotDebate1995

@someone234 Sorry dude. I can prove you wrong through real live experience both with me and one of my profs, who, while a huge history nerd in general and a chess historian, has kids..... so.... yah....

Fascism

I used to be a chess player and I don't think chess is a sport. It does require mental prowess, but it has no physical prowess. 

mstoks18

In the way it has been described above as a 'mental competition', I have to say I agree. Through my eyes, sports are a test of the overall strength mentally, physically, and together as a team of yourself / or your teammates combined. I think that it is a skill to compete in chess, but it doesnt seem like a sport. More of a competition like Debate or Speech. 

drodgers

Simple test for whether something is a sport vs a competition. 

Does the other player(s) physically try to counteract you while interacting with a shared mechanism?

Example, golf is not a sport, no one is trying to stop you from hitting that ball.

Tennis is a sport.

Bowling is not a sport, baseball is a sport.

Darts, not a sport, football is a sport.

Nascar is not a sport, badminton is a sport.

Chess is a board game.

Are you seriously going to call backgammon a sport?  Yahtzee?  Checkers?  Tic-Tac-Toe?  Chutes and ladders?

Anything can be a competition, including spitting for distance but that doesn't make it a sport.